Vacuum actuated test clip

ABSTRACT

A vacuum actuated device is provided for opening a pincer clip that is normally retained by a spring in a closed, grasping position. A bellows is connected for movement with two opposing finger gripping portions of the clip that are separated from one another by means of a compression spring. One end of the bellows is provided with an atmospheric exhaust port that passes through one of the finger gripping portions of the clip. A second port leading from the interior of the bellows is formed in the other finger gripping portion that is connected to a vacuum pump. The atmospheric exhaust port is closed by the placement of an operator&#39;&#39;s finger over this port to thereby allow the vacuum pump to evacuate the air in the bellows and cause the bellows to collapse. The ends of the bellows and their associated finger gripping portions move toward one another, against the smaller biasing force exerted by the spring, and thereby effect movement at the other ends of the clip into an open, non-grasping position. Removing the operator&#39;&#39;s finger from the atmospheric exhaust port allows the biasing force of the spring to return the clip to its normally closed grasping position.

United States Patent [19] Lane, III

[451 Nov. 4, 1975 VACUUM ACTUATED TEST CLIP [75] Inventor: Charles E. Lane, III, Meadowbrook,

Oct. 23, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 517,383

Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-DeWalden W. Jones Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur H. Swanson; Lockwood D. Burton; John Shaw Stevenson [57] ABSTRACT A vacuum actuated device is provided for opening a pincer clip that is normally retained by a spring in a closed, grasping position. A [bellows is connected for movement with two opposing finger gripping portions of the clip that are separated from one another by means of a compression spring. One end of the bellows is provided with an atmospheric exhaust port that passes through one of the finger gripping portions of the clip. A second port leading from the interior of the bellows is formed in the other finger gripping portion that is connected to a vacuum pump. The atmospheric exhaust port is closed by the: placement of an operators finger over this port to thereby allow the vacuum pump to evacuate the air in the bellows and cause the bellows to collapse. The ends of the bellows and their associated finger gripping portions move toward one another, against the smaller biasing force exerted by the spring, and thereby effect movement at the other ends of the clip into an open, non-grasping position. Removing the operators finger from the atmospheric exhaust port allows the biasing force of the spring to return the clip to its normally closed grasping position.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent N0v.4,1975 3,917,376

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VACUUM ACTUATED TEST cur BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a spring biased pincer type test clip.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior to the present invention, many different types ;of manually operated pincer type gripping clips have 1 generally made of a rectangularly shaped conductive,

semi-conductive or non-conductive material and have a number of leads extending from opposite sides thereof in contact with a printed circuit board.

Prior art pincer type clips that are used to test electrical components of this type have electrical conductors passing through and out of the ends of central portions of their insulated grasping and finger actuated portions. These leads thus provide a means for electrically connecting the leads of the aforementioned components with leads of electrical measuring instruments whereby certain desired electrical characteristics of these electrical components can be measured.

Those clips contain two finger gripping portions and two grasping jaws working on a common pivot; the finger and jaw portions are made of a tough insulated plastic material such as nylon. A spring extends into compressing engagement between the finger gripping portions.

To clamp the wires extending from the gripping end of the clip into electrical contact to the associated wires extending from the sides of the electrical component, it has heretofore been necessary for an operator to apply his thumb and forefinger against and in squeezing relationship with the finger gripping ends of the members to force these ends toward one another against the bias of the spring. This action will cause the grasping jaws at the other end of the clip to open. When this is done, the then wide open grasping jaws are moved downward over the top of the electrical component until the electricalleads of the clip arebrought into side by side relationship with electrical contacts on the side of the electrical components. The squeezing grip of the fingers on the finger portions of the clip are then released to allow the leads extending from the grasping end of the clip to be brought into electrical contact with the leads extending from the sides of the electrical component.

When an operator is given the task of checking electrical measurements of several hundred components of the aforementioned type in any working day, it becomes a very laborious task for such an operator to apply finger pressure to the test clip in the aforementioned manner to open the clip in order to place it in nent and (b) to thereafter apply finger pressure to the test clip to release the clip from this electrical compo- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is anobject of the present invention to provide a manually operated, spring biased pincer type gripping clip that can be moved from a closed, grasping position to an open, non-grasping position while requiring-substantially less manual force by the operator.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a grasping clip of 'the aforementioned type which employs a power-assist to rapidly move the grasping jaws of the clip from a closed, grasping position to an open, non-grasping position.

In accomplishing these and other objects, there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a flexible chamber, such as a bellows, extending between the inner wall surfaces that form finger gripping end portions of the clip. A vacuum pump is connected to a chamber forming the interior of the pincer bellows by way of a conduit leading from the pump and a port extending through an inner wall of one of the finger gripping end portions of the clip.

An atmospheric exhaust port, that opens into the interior of the bellows, is formed in the other gripping end portion of the clip. The clip is arranged to move from a closed to an open position when an operator places his. finger over the atmospheric exhaust port. This causes a vacuum to be applied to the bellows chamber and the ends of the bellows to move toward one another against the weaker biasing force of a spring that extends between the underside surfaces of the finger gripping ends of the clip.

The aforementioned action allows the object grasping ends of the clip to open whereby they can be placed about a part that is to be grasped by these ends. The operators finger is removed from the atmospheric exhaust port and the bellows is thereby allowed to return to its expanded condition as a result of the atmospheric pressure that is then applied to its inner wall. As theoperators finger is removed from the exhaust port, the spring forces the finger gripping ends of the clip apart and returns the other opposite ends of the clip to.a grasping position about the object that is to be tested.

The provision of the aforementioned vacuum device for a pincer type clip will thus allow a pincer clip to be actuated between an open, non-grasping position and a closed-grasping position. This is accomplished by sliding a finger over an atmospheric exhaust port that is formed in a finger holding portion of the clip. It is also evident that such a vacuum device will reduce the amount of finger pressure required by the operator eachtime the grasping jaws of the clip are opened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A better understanding of the invention maybe had from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings'in which:

FIG. 1 is a front illustration of the pincer type clip and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For an understanding of the preferred embodiment of the invention, reference will be first made to FIG. 1. An exemplary clip 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a pair of spaced elongated members 12, 14 of a substantially rectangularly shaped configuration. A pair of spaced stop lugs 16, 18; 20, 22 extend from each of the associated members 12, 14. A pivot pin 24 extends through aligned cylindrical openings formed in each of the lugs 16-22 and is peened over at its outer ends. Each of the elongated members 12, 14 has an associated raised ring shaped portion 26; 28 for receiving, respectively, the ends of a compression spring 30. The members 12 and 14 each have a plurality of associated spaced electrical leads 32; 34 extending through and out the opposite ends thereof.

One end of the leads 32, 34 are connected to suitable leads 36, 38 of electrical measuring apparatus represented by a meter 40. The other ends of the members 12, 14 each have a grooved, grasping jaw portion 42,

44 through which exposed end portions of the leads 32, 34 extend. The leads 32, 34 at the grasping ends of the members 12, 14 are in electric contact with the plug in leads 46, 48 that extends from opposite terminal sides of a D.l.P. electrical component into a printed circuit 52.

A flexible bellows member 54 is provided extending between the actuating or finger gripping ends of the members 12, 14. An L-shaped passageway 56 is formed in that end portion of the member 12. A sleeve 58 is mounted in the horizontal portion of the L-shaped passageway and is shown extending therefrom. The vertical portion of the passageway opens into the interior of the bellows 54. A conduit 60 is connected about the sleeve 58 at one end and to a vacuum pump 62 at its other end.

The member 14 of the clip 10 has an opening 64 there through. A sleeve 66 is mounted in the opening 64 and forms a passageway between the interior of the bellows 54 and atomospheric pressure. A mound 68 is shown in FIG. 1 formed by the portion of the member 14 that surrounds the sleeve 66. An operators fingers 70, 72 are shown in contact with the right ends of the members 12 and 14. The finger 70 is shown in a position to seal over the upper end of the sleeve 66 and is in engagement with the mound 68.

MODE OF OPERATION The pincer type clip 10 shown in solid line form in FIG. 1 illustrates the position of the parts of this clip when the clip is in its normally closed, grasping position. Under this condition, the spring 30 exerts a spring biasing force on the inner surfaces of the finger gripping parts of the members 12, 14. The spring force is thus used to retain the opposite ends 42, 44 and the portions of the leads 32, 34 associated therewith in physical surface to surface contact with the plug in leads 46, 48 extending from the terminal portions of the electrical component 50.

When the clip is in the aforementioned position, the port 66 is open and the clip is retained in a selfsupporting condition on the terminals of the electrical component 50.

A test measurement of an electrical characteristic of the electrical component can then be determined by the associated test apparatus represented by the meter 40.

An operator who is performing the test on this component, then effects the removal of the pincer type clip 10 from its mounted position on the electrical component 50 by placing his finger over the atmospheric exhaust 66. This causes the interior of the bellows 54 to be sealed off from atmospheric pressure and allows the vacuum pump 62 to pump air out of the bellows 54 to create a negative pressure therein.

As air is removed from the bellows in this manner, the bellows collapses and the ends of the bellows are pulled toward one another against an opposite but smaller magnitude of force being exerted by the spring 30.

This action causes the opposite grasping ends 42, 44 of the clip 10 to move from their solid line gripping position to their fully open, non-gripping, dot dot dash line position.

Retaining a finger over the atmospheric exhaust port 66 enables the operator to readily remove the clip 10 from the electrical component 50. While the clip is retained in this non-grasping, open position, the operator can readily position its gripping portions 42, 44 in readiness to grasp the plug-in leads of another electrical component which is to be tested. When the clip is in this latter-mentioned position, the operator withdraws his finger from a sealing relationship with the atmospheric exhaust port 66. This allows the spring 14 to expand and force the jaw portions 42, 44 and its associated lead wires 32, 34 into engagement with the leads of the second electrical component.

It can be seen that the vacuum actuated device of the present invention eliminates the laborious task of applying heavy finger pressure to the gripping portions of the prior art pincer type clips each time such a clip is mounted on or removed from an object such as an electrical component.

It can also be seen that the vacuum actuated device comprising the present invention can be used with many other pincer type tools than that described to provide them with an easy way of releasing their grasping jaws about the electrical or non-electrical objects with which they are associated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed as defined as follows:

1. A clip for grasping objects, comprising a pair of spaced elongated members, a pivot pin supported transversely of said members and between associated intermediate portions thereof, a biasing means extending between two adjacent end portions of said members to provide a force for spreading said end portions apart and to simultaneously efiect movement of the other end portions of said members toward one another to a grasping position, a flexible chamber defining means connected to and extending between said firstmentioned end portions, a first port extending through one of said first-mentioned end portions and opening into the interior of said flexible member, a vacuum pump, a conduit extending between said first port and said pump, a second port extending through the other one of said first-mentioned end portions and opening into the interior of said flexible chamber to provide said chamber with an atmospheric exhause vent, a portion of said member surrounding said second port being adapted to receive a portion of a finger to effect the closing of said second port, said vacuum pump being operable to create a vacuum in said chamber, to effect a contraction thereof and the movement of the other end of said members to a spread apart, non-gripping position when said second port is closed.

2. The clip defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible chamber defining means is a bellows.

3. The clip defined in claim 1 wherein said portion of said members surrounding said second port is of a mound shaped configuration. 

1. A clip for grasping objects, comprising a pair of spaced elongated members, a pivot pin supported transversely of said members and between associated intermediate portions thereof, a biasing means extending between two adjacent end portions of said members to provide a force for spreading said end portions apart and to simultaneously effect movement of the other end portions of said members toward one another to a grasping position, a flexible chamber defining means connected to and extending between said first-mentioned end portions, a first port extending through one of said first-mentioned end portions and opening into the interior of said flexible member, a vacuum pump, a conduit extending between said first port and said pump, a second port extending through the other one of said first-mentioned end portions and opening into the interior of said flexible chamber to provide said chamber with an atmospheric exhause vent, a portion of said member surrounding said second port being adapted to receive a portion of a finger to effect the closing of said second port, said vacuum pump being operable to create a vacuum in said chamber, to effect a contraction thereof and the movement of the other end of said members to a spread apart, non-gripping position when said second port is closed.
 2. The clip defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible chamber defining means is a bellows.
 3. The clip defined in claim 1 wherein said portion of said members surrounding said second port is of a mound shaped configuration. 